Cable processing apparatus and recording medium changer

{
  "publication_number": "US9340356B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Cable processing apparatus and recording medium changer",
  "abstract": "A cable processing apparatus includes a first pulley, a second pulley, and a cable. The first pulley is configured to rotate about a rotational axis. The second pulley is configured to rotate about the rotational axis together with the first pulley. The cable includes a fixation region to be fixed to the first pulley and the second pulley. The first pulley is configured to rotate about the rotational axis, to thereby perform one of winding of the cable from the fixation region to one end portion and unwinding of the wound cable. The cable includes a predetermined-length portion from the fixation region to the other end portion, which is wound around the second pulley. The second pulley is configured to rotate about the rotational axis together with the first pulley, to thereby perform one of rewinding and tightening of the wound predetermined-length portion of the cable.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A cable processing apparatus, comprising: a first pulley configured to rotate about a rotational axis; a second pulley configured to rotate about the rotational axis together with the first pulley; and a cable including a fixation region to be fixed to the first pulley and the second pulley, wherein the fixation region is configured to be a region formed by bending the cable with a longitudinal direction of the cable being a direction orthogonal to the rotational axis to extend in a direction of the rotational axis, the first pulley being configured to rotate about the rotational axis, to thereby perform one of winding of the cable from the fixation region to one end portion and unwinding of the wound cable, the cable including a predetermined-length portion from the fixation region to the other end portion, which is wound around the second pulley, the second pulley being configured to rotate about the rotational axis together with the first pulley, to thereby perform one of rewinding and tightening of the wound predetermined-length portion of the cable.",
    "2. The cable processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first pulley has a diameter set such that one of winding and unwinding of a desired cable length is performed in a rotation range in which one of rewinding and tightening is performed by the second pulley.",
    "3. The cable processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the first pulley has a diameter larger than a diameter of the second pulley.",
    "4. The cable processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first pulley and the second pulley are provided with a cable insertion portion extending in the direction of the rotational axis, and the fixation region is inserted into the cable insertion portion such that the cable is fixed to the first pulley and the second pulley.",
    "5. The cable processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cable is wound around the first pulley and the second pulley in the same direction, and the second pulley is configured to perform tightening of the cable depending on rotation of the cable in a winding direction in the first pulley, and to perform rewinding of the cable depending on rotation of the cable in an unwinding direction in the first pulley.",
    "6. The cable processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cable is wound around the first pulley and the second pulley in opposite directions, and the second pulley is configured to perform rewinding of the cable depending on rotation of the cable in a winding direction in the first pulley, and to perform tightening depending on rotation of the cable in an unwinding direction in the first pulley.",
    "7. A recording medium changer, comprising: a plurality of slots in which a recording medium is housed; a drive configured to perform an operation using the recording medium; a conveying mechanism configured to convey the recording medium between the plurality of slots and the drive; a cable configured to electrically connect a casing to the conveying mechanism; and a cable processing mechanism configured to process the cable, the cable processing mechanism including a first pulley configured to rotate about a rotational axis, and a second pulley configured to rotate about the rotational axis together with the first pulley, the cable including a fixation region at a predetermined position, the fixation region being fixed to the first pulley and the second pulley, the first pulley being configured to rotate along with movement of the conveying mechanism in a longitudinal direction of the cable, to thereby perform one of winding of the cable from the fixation region to one end portion, that is, a side of one of the conveying mechanism and the casing and unwinding of the wound cable, the cable including a predetermined-length portion from the fixation region to the other end portion, that is, a side of the other of the conveying mechanism and the casing, which is wound around the second pulley, the second pulley being configured to rotate about the rotational axis together with the first pulley, to thereby perform one of rewinding and tightening of the wound predetermined-length portion of the cable.",
    "8. The recording medium changer according to claim 7, wherein the cable processing mechanism further includes a fluctuation absorbing mechanism configured to absorb deflection of the cable that is caused between the conveying mechanism and the casing due to fluctuation of a diameter of a cable winding portion when the first pulley rotates along with the movement of the conveying mechanism in the longitudinal direction of the cable."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "The present disclosure relates to a cable processing apparatus and a recording medium changer, by which a highly reliable recording medium carrying operation can be easily performed at low costs with a compact configuration.\n\nIn related art, a recording medium changer has been used for storing data of content (e.g., image, music, text, or information of combination of them), various programs, and the like. In the recording medium changer, recording media or cartridges housing the recording media (hereinafter, simply referred to as “recording media”) are housed in a plurality of slots (cells) provided in a casing. In the recording medium changer, a desired recording medium is conveyed by a conveying block to a drive block and installed into the drive block. Further, in such a recording medium changer, in order to perform a desired conveying operation in the conveying block, a cable for performing power supply and communication with a control block provided in a casing is connected.\n\nIn the case where the control block is fixedly attached to the casing, the cable needs to have a length such that the conveying block is at a farthest position from the control block. Therefore, when the control block and the conveying block are close to each other, the cable is largely redundant. Therefore, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2003-30913 (hereinafter, referred to as Patent Document 1) discloses that a folding cable is used. In Patent Document 1, the cable is extended as the conveying block moves away from the control block and the cable is folded as the conveying block comes closer to the control block.",
  "cpc": [
    "B65G 1/137",
    "B66D 1/7415",
    "G11B 15/6805",
    "G11B 15/6835",
    "G11B 17/225",
    "G11B 33/122"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "B65G 1/137",
    "B66D 1/74",
    "G11B 15/675",
    "G11B 15/68",
    "G11B 17/22",
    "G11B 33/12"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "Sony Corp"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Wataru Nonaka",
    "Hideaki Noguchi",
    "Shunji Yamaguchi"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2014-03-28",
  "publication_date": "2016-05-17",
  "grant_date": "2016-05-17",
  "priority_date": "2013-04-05",
  "application_number": "US-201414229129-A",
  "family_id": "51654573",
  "cited_by_count": 0,
  "citations": [
    "US4310865A",
    "US5434832A",
    "US20080229862A1",
    "US20130090194A1",
    "US20140158821A1",
    "US20140158839A1",
    "US20150071744A1"
  ]
}